New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-21
HrGOS P0STHUNOUs WORKS.
PROSE SKETCHES

rTTOSrs vr-rs Tar Vt-rog UrGo. Faris: Tetre, c;
lie NewIork: ". K jenkins.
THINGS SkkN by NicToL ACCN VIM IN'@-'~
Hsrper & BrVihers-
Victor Hucu's literary executors have prepared
q volume Of prose sketches from the voigmir'IS
mass II parers kft by the author. and they ere
Published under the happy title Closes y a2S.
Tie sketches are ycry Characteristic. Hugo was
a natural observer. ani 70 tie faculty o. secin-
What rassea before his eyes he added what may
he called the modern journalistic instinct Of TIC
sensational lie seeks cl'maNcs, anrthcses.
startling contrasts. bizarre situations lie puts
everything in its most dramatic PoSe. And he
infuses into an his description somewhat q taai
pr,diral Imagination which be lavished upon hs
fiction. and which frequently carried him ioto eN-
trsvocancc and false art In thcse short sketches
II : clear that his purpose Wa t. st down SIM
DIV what lie saw; but the temperament Was stron-
ger than this purpose. and the result * that aot
little q his fact rvsds like fiction.
The period covered is from lS5S 70 is75, ani
tie character Of the things, events and people
which interested the writer i significant lie
hst. like Dickens and many other distinguished
writers Of fiction. deep interest IN strange q
formidable crimes and criminals The longest
and most elaborate articles In TIE present VOL
une are concerned with such cases We hH
papers OF Freiehc. on tic attempt Of Leeoi-ie, On
the attempt Of Joseph Henri both abortiNe rccl-
cides' On the Due de Praslln. who murdered lis
wife and then poisoned himself. on Tapner,
Channel Island criminal On the eondergerie o.
The condemned oonvtctS prison. In the lsst-Hlen
TONED paper perhaps We should recognize hrs'
rought draft Of the Dernier Joar dane Con
da1ane.- In another article the origin OF the
story a Fantine Is given. though il should rather
- If A. rufSrrte IN the
story Of Fautine The opening sketch i ghasily
account q the final disposition OF the brain Of
Talleyrand In several OF the criminal caSos VIC
toy uuco's own acton a. Peer sitting IN judgment
upon the accused is part OF the record, and IN
every case of the kind he i sen voting for niu-
cation and trying, sometimes apparently without
iustihcauon, 70 save helnous ofenders from The
Just punishment Of tbeir deeds
All through his career his tendency 20 senti-
mental ami distinotively gushing humanitartanisn
WAS marked. IL WAS IN fact foible, though ne
10 doubt considered il virtue, II was hardly
possible for criminal 70 he 80 bad that victor
Huxos voice would not - raised Oh his behalf
aud lie carried this oomplsiSanoe 50 far that the
rights Of the victims were practically lenoT>d
Nessieurs les asssSSins- seemed 70 maNe -
srronc an appeal 70 his tenderness Of heart that
he couh rot md sympathy Tor those whom they
had removed Ihis fatal weakness became So
notorious toward the close Of his career that
his ,nrerceSson or behalf Of condemned soouudrels
c.ssed 10 lie REGARDED as possessing any serious
significance. lie even ooal1 lot see that lnss1R n
a. a kind OF habit Of shooting AZ LOUIS PHILIPPE
ha4 grown Ut among wesk-ninded people, II was
Absolutely necessary 10 punish these attempts
with eXeI- plary rgor, and BE- seems Il have 81
most resented tie Kings mildly pat representation
e the effect that re bad some right Of sei-Qro-
lection in common with his subjects Hugo sp-
EArently w0uld have encouraged tbs practice q
shooting 81 royalty by pAraolinc every honlciGAl
crank On the spot The King and his cou1selors
thought otherwise; and the strict sdmlnlstrst,o Oh
q tie law probably preserved the life Of e rale-
whose chief fSnlt Was a LIBERALISM IN sdvance OF
his tine and a coa63eces - the loyalty Of his
people which no Preach sovereign for very long
tine wouE have been warranted IN rePosing-
The notes on ne second funeral Of NaPoleoa.
taken On the spCc. deserve careful study io- tey
exhibit Hago's descriptive power az its oes1- Tie
saw everything in such scene. an1 he SSw great
deal ~hieh 10 the crowd was invisible lie ON
oined the pictorial art with tie detective No'
only does he give vivid sketch Of the procession
tie decorations the shrngs 81 people, bat lis
g@se penetrsres behind the eaady fsiPP<ry Of the
show and perceivss all the shAras- the decspIo1s,
the petty ne2nDesses Of the administration He
puts his finger On TIE ignoble defect q cheap
stat employed 70, hAngings: Of plated lettsrs il
stead Of silver q, Nspos~o1's oofsn- TIE ROACH
ress OF the rAke-echeve nOrtuary Architectnre. o.
the latent stinginess and hunb1g Which pervsdei
the whoIe affair Thus il is asae apparent ho~
simulated vsnsrst'0n Of Tie occasion, and, esrt